Chapter 10: Maria's Discovery
The grandfather clock in the downstairs hallway of the estate chimed past midnight by the time we returned from the gala, the drive home having passed in a tense, suffocating silence. Elena hurried up the grand staircase without a single word, her heels clicking frantically against the hardwood before her bedroom door slammed shut with a sharp finality. I remained downstairs in the dim light of the foyer, pulling off my bow tie as the heavy oak front door creaked open a fraction. Maria slipped into the hallway from the service entrance, her dark eyes wide with cautious urgency, clutching a manila envelope against her work uniform.
"Mr. Daniel," Maria whispered, glancing nervously toward the stairs to ensure Elena was out of earshot. She stepped closer and handed me the envelope. "After you left for the gala, Mrs. Elena had a visitor. Not Mr. Marcus, but a courier. He dropped this off at the side gate, and she acted very strangely about it."
I took the envelope, feeling the thickness of the documents inside, and stepped into the dim study to switch on the desk lamp. Sliding out the contents, I found a stack of printed bank statements and title transfer receipts bearing signatures I hadn't authorized. They were preliminary asset-stripping documents originating from an overseas trust account—evidence that Elena and Marcus weren't just planning a divorce, but an immediate liquidation of my architectural firm's capital reserves before the end of the fiscal quarter. Maria stood quietly by the doorway, her hands clasped tightly together, her loyalty to our household running far deeper than any payroll agreement.
"She burned some papers in the garden incinerator earlier this evening, too," Maria added quietly, her voice laced with genuine worry. "I found these pages tucked inside a magazine rack in the sunroom where she must have dropped them in a hurry. She thinks no one notices the small things, Mr. Daniel, but I've kept this house running for ten years. I see everything."
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I looked up from the fraudulent transfer receipts, meeting the housekeeper's steady gaze with a profound sense of gratitude. "You've protected more than just a house tonight, Maria. Keep these secure. Vance's legal team needs every scrap of paper we can gather before Monday morning."
She nodded solemnly, slipping the remaining duplicates into her apron pocket before disappearing back into the quiet shadows of the service wing. I stood alone in the dark study for a long moment, running my thumb over the forged signature on the asset transfer sheet, feeling the cold anger settle deep into my bones. The trap was nearly set, and they were walking right into it.
